Dan Sparks to retire?

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Published: April 16, 2013

A report from a reliable source indicates that Hall of Fame Wabash Valley College basketball coach Dan Sparks plans to retire from coaching and will step down. That report could be not be confirmed as of late Monday night.

Sparks is the second winningest active coach with 868 wins to his credit. He has coached WVC for the last seven years after 26 years at Vincennes University.

Tonight (Tuesday), the IECC District 529 Board will meet in regular session, at which time a resignation could be announced or acted upon, according to the source.

In November, Sparks fell from a ladder at his home in Vincennes, requiring emergency hip surgery. He returned to the bench in January, accompanied by a walker.

The Warriors responded to Sparks’ return almost immediately and coupled with the return of some key players from injuries, made a run at the Region 24 championship, finishing 17-14, losing to VU in the semi finals.

Sparks was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2000.

After playing on a national championship team in Vincennes in 1964, Sparks moved on to Weber State, where he starred in the Big Sky Conference.

He played professionally for three years with Miami of the ABA and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. After one year as an assistant at VU and four years as an assistant with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings of the NBA, Sparks was named head coach at Vincennes in 1979.

His Trailblazer team of 1985-86 placed second in the NJCAA tourney, falling to San Jacinto, Tex. in the finals, 78-72.

At Wabash Valley, Sparks had two teams reach the national tourney, the latest in 2012 with an eighth-place finish.